For those who don’t know, NIU and DeKalb reside in the 14th Congressional District. This is perhaps a fact Dennis Hastert, the former Speaker of the House, forgot when he served in Congress for 20 years.

During Hastert’s term in Congress, NIU went virtually unnoticed. This is a fact we hope changes when we endorse State Senator Chris Lauzen for the 14th District in the Illinois primary election.

Unlike Lauzen’s rival, Hastert clone and entrepreneur Jim Oberweis, Lauzen has served in the state senate since 1992 and has the experience necessary to govern at the federal level.We believe Lauzen will remain true to his constituency if he moves on to Washington, giving DeKalb and the 14th a stronger voice.

Lauzen and Oberweis differ greatly on an important local issue, the Prairie Parkway, which would use federal funds to connect Interstates 88 and 80.

Oberweis supports the Parkway, but Lauzen believes the money should be used to widen Route 47, an important thoroughfare that has seen its traffic volume increase in recent years.

The road, if improved, is estimated by local support groups, like the 47 Plus Coalition, to reduce traffic congestion in the area. Considering NIU’s large number of commuter students, this traffic relief would be greatly appreciated.

We believe Lauzen’s years of public service at the state level will serve him well if elected. Though Oberweis criticized this experience in a Star article Thursday, he also failed to mention how he would help represent students.

“Student voters, like the rest of the country, look for someone to provide them with a good economy. An NIU degree is worth a lot more when there are job opportunities,” Oberweis said. “I’ve spent most of my career in the financial services industry; I’ve started three mutual funds.”

The last time we checked, most students probably have not started any mutual funds lately. Even excluding students, Oberweis seems out of touch with his constituency.Though any member of Congress would likely serve the 14th better than Hastert, we feel State Senator Lauzen is the best choice in Feb. 5’s primary.